Ricky Martin and the group Reik have secured the top spot on the Latin Airplay chart with their collaboration "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal." During the 2025 MTV VMAs in New York, Martin accepted the Latin Icon Award and performed a medley of his greatest hits.
"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" and the UBS Arena Stage
Ricky Martin and the band Reik have achieved a significant commercial milestone by topping the Latin Airplay chart with their song "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal." This chart success coincided with a high-profile appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7, 2025, held at the UBS Arena in New York. According to the report, Ricky Martin performed a medley of his most famous hits and received the Latin Icon Award, admitting during the event that he remains "addicted to the applause."
The receipt of the Latin Icon Award serves as a formal recognition of Martin's enduring influence on the global music landscape. By blending a high-energy performance with a career-spanning honor, Ricky Martin demonstrated his ability to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving industry that is increasingly dominated by streaming-first artists.
The Puerto Rican legacy shared by Ricky Martin and Bad Bunny
Beyond his own accolades, Ricky Martin has used his platform to champion the next generation of Latin artists. As the report says, Martin penned an open letter to Bad Bunny following the latter's Grammy victory, specifically praising Bad Bunny for maintaining his Puerto Rican roots. This gesture highlights a broader trend of veteran Latin stars validating the cultural authenticity of the "Urbano" movement, ensuring that global commercial success does not erase the specific heritage of the Caribbean.
This public endorsement creates a bridge between the "Latin Explosion" of the late 1990s, which Ricky Martin helped spearhead, and the current era of global dominance led by artists like Bad Bunny. By framing Bad Bunny's success as a victory for Puerto Rican identity, Ricky Martin positions himself not just as a performer, but as a custodian of the genre's cultural integrity.
A "modern family" and the 18th birthday of Martin's twins
On a personal level, Ricky Martin recently celebrated the 18th birthday of his twin children, sharing a pool photo accompanied by his 2011 track "Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú." Martin has been candid about the nature of his family, explaining to his children that a woman he admires helped bring them into the world via surrogacy. This openness extends to his role as an LGBTQ+ parent, where he describes his household as a "modern family" to his children .
This transparency regarding his family structure includes his other two children, Lucía and Renn, who were born between 2018 and 2019 with his former partner Jwan Yosef. By sharing these intimate details, Ricky Martin is leveraging his celebrity to normalize non-traditional family dynamics, providing a visible example of LGBTQ+ fatherhood to a global audience.
The missing details of the Reik partnershiip
While the success of "A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" is evident on the charts, the specifics of the creative partnership between Ricky Martin and Reik remain unclear. The source does not detail whether this was a planned strategic pivot for Ricky Martin or a spontaneous collaboration.. Furthermore, it remains to be seen if this chart-topping momentum will lead to a full-length collaborative project or a wider tour across Latin American markets.
Additionally, while the report mentions the praise Ricky Martin received for his openness, it does not provide specific reactions from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups or a detailed breakdown of the song's performance across different streaming platforms beyond the Latin Airplay chart.
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